We’ve all been approached at one point or another by a young student asking for us to give a charitable donation to help their school fundraiser, whether it be for books, supplies, computers, or even athletic equipment. Keeping schools up and running is an expensive task and as the new school year begins it’s important to keep in mind vital steps to running successful fundraising programs that help keep campus budgets in the black. With the new school year underway and the Fall/Winter holiday season just around the corner, it’s a perfect time to start planning your big school fundraiser. Whether you’re a proud parent, a concerned teacher, or a student activist we’ll provide you with a couple of helpful tips to get your K-12 school on the fundraising Fast Track.
Setting Goals, Research & Getting the Thumbs Up.
When starting your school fundraiser it’s important to have a goal. Look around your local school and try and see what is needed. Does your school need a new roof for the gym? More books for the library? Newer computers in the classrooms? It’s important to know what you need before you attempt to raise money for an unknown cause. Ask around your school and find out what students, teachers, and faculty feel the school is lacking. Once you know what you need get quotes and estimates so that you can make an approximate goal for your fundraising campaign. In most K-12 public school systems fundraising must be officially approved by the individual school’s student government, principle, or even, depending on the scope of a fundraising campaign, the school district superintendent. Find out what your school’s policies are on fundraising before making any arrangements. Make sure you have your facts and estimates correct before drafting a proposal to present to your school’s officials. Once you have your bases covered and your proposal approved it’s time to start fundraising!
The Parents, the Keys to Success!
You’ve gotten the big thumbs up to go ahead with your school fundraiser and now it’s time to get things moving. Although it’s obvious that the students benefit the most from school fundraisers, they aren’t always the most eager to help. In most cases rewards and incentives will only do so much to motivate a student into being an active fundraising participant. It’s time to get the PTA going! In order to make your school’s fundraiser a success it’s important to get the parents involved. Parents have a default interest in helping their children’s schools. You might be thinking, “Well it’s a nice idea but how would I actually get the parents informed?” Don’t count on the traditional means of communication such as sending letters in the mail or sending them home with students. Most of these letters end up unopened, trashed, or crumpled up in the bottom of a student’s backpack. Try other means of communication, the classic telephone call will work wonders. Talk to the parents and find out what their schedules or like and try to get them to volunteer. Find out what their strengths are, what types of connections they may, what kind of skills and talents they might posses, and even what kind of resources they may be able to offer. By the end of all this you may have a substantial amount of resources, people, and supplies to get your school fundraiser going.
